The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) routinely makes recommendations about the effectiveness of preventive care services and this statement is consistent with its 2014 recommendation.
Dental caries is the most common chronic disease in children in the United States.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has recommended that primary care clinicians prescribe oral fluoride supplementation starting at age 6 months for children whose water supply is deficient in fluoride and apply fluoride varnish to the primary teeth of all children starting at the age of primary tooth eruption. However the USPSTF concludes that the current evidence is insufficient to make a recommendation on primary care clinicians performing routine screening exams for cavities in children younger than 5.
In 2014 review for the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) found that oral fluoride supplementation and topical fluoride use were associated with reduced caries incidence in children younger than 5 years.The researchers have updated the 2014 review on dental caries screening and preventive interventions to inform the USPSTF.
The final recommendations of the task force are based on 32 studies with 106,694 individuals participating. Further the recommendations are consistent with the 2014 recommendations and a draft statement published earlier this year in this same clinical area.
The task force added details to the final recommendation regarding timing and dosage information in response to feedback received during this year's public comment period.
No studies "specifically addressed the dosage and timing of oral fluoride supplementation in children with inadequate water fluoridation," the USPSTF wrote. Although there were also no studies that "directly assessed the appropriate ages at which to start and stop the application of fluoride varnish," the evidence suggested applying the fluoride varnish every 6 months appeared to be sufficient, according to the USPSTF In addition, "all children with erupted teeth can potentially benefit from the periodic application of fluoride varnish, regardless of the levels of fluoride in their water," the USPSTF wrote. The final USPSTF recommendations also include, for the first time, a CDC tool that can help primary care clinicians ascertain the amount of fluoride in a water system.
It was concluded there was no direct evidence on benefits and harms of primary care oral health screening or referral to dentist. Dietary fluoride supplementation and fluoride varnish were associated with improved caries outcomes in higher-risk children and settings.
For further reference log on to:
Chou R, et al. JAMA. 2021;doi:10.1001/jama.2021.15658.